Do we need an Everton 'heart' within the side?

[mkrudden]

A fair few have been speaking in the transfer thread about Meunier, the PSG right back, as an upgrade for £60k Seamus.

Had me thinking for a moment, if we sign the Belgian, we could have no what I would consider "Everton" players of the Moyes working class era in the team:

Pickford
Meunier Zouma Keane Digne
Gomes Gana
Richarlison Sig' Bernard
DCL

(speculative 11 but with different signings the point is the same)

Now given Moyes left a long time ago, that's by no means a bad thing. Another way though to feel represented by the fan base would be to have a youngster in the team. Someone who knows what it means to support the club and what we as a fanbase are all about. With Davies unsure of himself and Kenny looking like a season away to be the best thing for his development, it would leave potentially a very un-Everton team in the near-past traditional sense.

Question / Poll:

Shouldn't we, even if it means a small upgrade with Meunier (a different debate entirely) have someone in there who represents an important part of the club: the community (or better term to describe) aspect.

or

It doesn't matter. Only winning matters and having the best players in each position, competing for prizes is everything a football fan base needs / wants. It doesn't matter what they feel for the club provided they are professional.

Which is it and why?

 

[Big Fat Sam]

No. Not at all. Would be great, if the players were good enough, I'd love nothing more than 11 Evertonians good enough to challenge for the top 4. But will never, ever happen. So just get the best 11 players we can find, regardless of where they're from.

 

[mkrudden]

No. Not at all. Would be great, if the players were good enough, I'd love nothing more than 11 Evertonians good enough to challenge for the top 4. But will never, ever happen. So just get the best 11 players we can find, regardless of where they're from.

Agreed in the main but IF Meunier isn't that much of an upgrade (which again, could be debated to its nth degree), would it be better to have Coleman in there until a few more players have more experience of what being a player here means to us?

 

[Lelouch]

I would prefer if we became a top team with some Everton in it like Jonjoe Kenny or Davies or Morgan Feeney but if you want to be the best you'd probably have to avoid being sentimental in situations like this.

 

[Osamabindiesel]

More foreigners

 

[Big Fat Sam]

Agreed in the main but IF Meunier isn't that much of an upgrade (which again, could be debated to its nth degree), would it be better to have Coleman in there until a few more players have more experience of what being a player here means to us?

Yeah if we can't bring an upgrade in to our current players then there's no point, is there. However if we have the chance, we have to upgrade our entire squad, as and when, until we are able to break the top 4. It def helps having those old experienced heads around, and I think we can safely say the likes of Coleman, Jagielka have become massive Evertonians in the years they've been with us.

 

[Westend Blue]

I think you need model pros/ professional players in a squad to lead by example/ be good examples for others.

From your listed team Gomes, Gana, Sigz, Zouma, Dinge and Bernard are exceptional individuals and form a good positive nucleus

 

[Sheedy's right knee.]

City have an identity through players such as Kompany, Fernandinho, Aguero and Silva. To be successful long term you need players that are 100% behind the club. They are the role models for the future players. No different for us, we need some new heroes who are 100% behind the team and create a good role model for the younger aspiring players. I hope Silva can achieve this so my answer is yes fo Everton heart.

 

[mkrudden]

City have an identity through players such as Kompany, Fernandinho, Aguero and Silva. To be successful long term you need players that are 100% behind the club. They are the role models for the future players. No different for us, we need some new heroes who are 100% behind the team and create a good role model for the younger aspiring players. I hope Silva can achieve this so my answer is yes fo Everton heart.

My view exactly. I'm just not sure we are there quite yet with the team minus-Coleman and to a lesser degree Baines and Jagielka as squad players. I want us to win but I don't want to watch a team of mercenaries like when I watch Utd.

 

[degsy]

A fair few have been speaking in the transfer thread about Meunier, the PSG right back, as an upgrade for £60k Seamus.

Had me thinking for a moment, if we sign the Belgian, we could have no what I would consider "Everton" players of the Moyes working class era in the team:

Pickford
Meunier Zouma Keane Digne
Gomes Gana
Richarlison Sig' Bernard
DCL

(speculative 11 but with different signings the point is the same)

Now given Moyes left a long time ago, that's by no means a bad thing. Another way though to feel represented by the fan base would be to have a youngster in the team. Someone who knows what it means to support the club and what we as a fanbase are all about. With Davies unsure of himself and Kenny looking like a season away to be the best thing for his development, it would leave potentially a very un-Everton team in the near-past traditional sense.

Question / Poll:

Shouldn't we, even if it means a small upgrade with Meunier (a different debate entirely) have someone in there who represents an important part of the club: the community (or better term to describe) aspect.

or

It doesn't matter. Only winning matters and having the best players in each position, competing for prizes is everything a football fan base needs / wants. It doesn't matter what they feel for the club provided they are professional.

Which is it and why?

Players come in, players move on...sometimes before they should, mostly on cue, but recently they linger too long.
You want 'Everton' players? Me too...as long as the 'Everton' in that is spelt W.I.N.N.E.R.

 

[APN_EFC]

City have an identity through players such as Kompany, Fernandinho, Aguero and Silva. To be successful long term you need players that are 100% behind the club. They are the role models for the future players. No different for us, we need some new heroes who are 100% behind the team and create a good role model for the younger aspiring players. I hope Silva can achieve this so my answer is yes fo Everton heart.

Ideally, players with an everton heart are local - Tony Adams, Lampard & Terry, Gerrard, are recent Premier league leaders who might bein that category, but then again some of the best foreign players are adopted and become local - i agree somehow Kompany and co became Man City people, as did Roy Keane, Viera and Henry, Messi, and others at their own club, and Cahill and Arteta at ours, for instance. The key is that they are long-term players who stay at the club for a while, which is rare in the current premier league, so that's what I would want and look for, and would try and make it that Davies, Kenny and Dowell are part of that, and maybe DCL and Lookman, but apart from that players who get the Everton heart can be from anywhere in the world. They have to connect with the fans, do the EiTC charity work, stay for 3+ years, and play like they would die for Everton, and talk as if they get it.

 

[Osamabindiesel]

My view exactly. I'm just not sure we are there quite yet with the team minus-Coleman and to a lesser degree Baines and Jagielka as squad players. I want us to win but I don't want to watch a team of mercenaries like when I watch Utd.

When I watch our squad, they seem a harmonious bunch at the very least. Andre and Gana in particular are great guys that have made this possible. We may need someone to bleed for the badge, but we are bringing in the right dudes.

 

[goodisonopheliac]

I don't want players to bleed for the badge, I just want them to win, and I want them to turn up and not just act half arsed about it.

 

[Seathestars]

I used to be a big fan of sentiment, not any more.

Need to be ruthless these days

 

[Aqui1a]

those who voted no, i hope you never complain when a player fights for a move away to another club.